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Tarot Review: Ophidia Rosa and Absurd

Wow. I mean wow. This deck is a combination of rustic, feminine, botanical, natural, grave and sweet. It is highly detailed and beautifully printed with golden edges and thin lines, presented in a smooth black illustrated box complete with a leaflet for basic reading (no reversals); I'm floored. Snakes and moths, spiders and fungi act as spirit guides through this world of floral interpretation and symbolism. The illustrations are simple, like they were taken from the diary of some wild botanist; a dreamy garden of familiar and magical herbs. They aren't traditional Raider Waite Smith or Marseilles style, they will have to be interpreted a little differently and really studied before rendering accurate-to-the-deck readings, and I've never been so excited to commit a new style to memory. Though there is a bit of resistance to the push of the cards during the corner shuffle, they move nicely under simple shuffling techniques and become smoother with use as most decks do. Everything about this deck is quality so the cost is well worth it. For a green witch like me, this is a dream-come-true of a deck and will probably join main circulation in the Parlor. I highly recommend this deck to readers who want quality and substance with simplicity.

I found this deck refreshing, odd (in the best way) and personable. Not only is the artwork somewhat androgynous, gender bending and queer; it was diverse in sizes and shapes, it expressed femininity and masculinity in fluidity... I was really pleased with the style, and even more so with the detail of the artwork in every single card, no matter how simple it appears at first glance. The theme borders on hip art-house but ventures into almost cartoonish exaggerations without being cartoonish at all (not that I knock that genre); it's just very contemporary and clean, all rounded lines and stark contrasts. Absurd is such a well done deck with quality printing, the cards have a cool smoothness to them that I found easy to shuffle. It quickly became my most popular requested deck from the Collection for the last few weeks, especially among my black and queer clientele as well as art students. Black and White decks are a popular new phenomenon in tarot, and this is among my favorite decks because it stands out from the others vividly. This deck tells a story for sure, but also meanders like a dream. Shipping was swift and the vendor was kind, attentive and charming, definitely the kind of vendor I'll be frequenting in the future (as should you).